Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02735971 2011-03-02
WO 2010/045066 PCT/US2009/059625
STACKED STEAM OVEN CONSTRUCTION
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present application relates generally to steam ovens for steaming
food
products and, more specifically, to a stack steam oven configuration.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Steam cookers have been successfully employed by schools, restaurants,
hospitals, universities and other food service operations to prepare quickly
and
conveniently large quantities of food. Different food service operations have
different
needs and therefore steam ovens are available in a variety of sizes and
capacities. For
example, it is known to provide steam ovens with a single steam cavity. It is
also known to
provide steam ovens with two steam cavities, one arranged above the other.
Steam oven
manufacturers therefore have a need to be flexible in terms of product
offerings.
SUMMARY
[0003] In one aspect, a steam oven assembly includes a first steam oven
including a
housing having a top, a bottom and sides extending from the top to the bottom.
A cooking
cavity is within the housing and a door is provided having an open
configuration and a
closed configuration. A second steam oven includes a housing having a top, a
bottom and
sides extending from the top to the bottom. A cooking cavity is within the
housing and a
door is provided having an open configuration and a closed configuration. The
second
steam oven is stacked on top of the first steam oven. A stacking component is
located
between the first and second steam ovens. The stacking component includes a
seating
surface on which the second steam oven sits. The stacking component nests with
the top of
the first steam oven or the bottom of the second steam oven to inhibit sliding
movement of
the second steam oven relative to the first steam oven.
[0004] In another aspect, a steam oven assembly includes a steam oven
including a
housing having a top, a bottom and sides extending from the top to the bottom.
A cooking
cavity is provided within the housing and a cavity door has an open
configuration and a
closed configuration. A base component is secured to the bottom of the steam
oven. The
base component includes a seating surface engaged with the bottom of the steam
oven and
four perimeter side walls extending downward from the seating surface to form
and
upwardly extending cavity at the bottom of the base component.
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[0005] In a further aspect, a method of assembling a stacked steam oven
construction involves: (a) providing a first steam oven including a housing
having a top, a
bottom and sides extending from the top to the bottom, a cooking cavity within
the housing
and a door having an open configuration and a closed configuration; (b)
providing a second
steam oven including a housing having a top, a bottom and sides extending from
the top to
the bottom, a cooking cavity within the housing and a door having an open
configuration
and a closed configuration; (c) securing a stacking component to the bottom of
the first
steam oven, the stacking component including a downward facing cavity; (d)
stacking the
first steam oven atop the second steam oven such that the downward facing
cavity of the
stacking component nests with the top of the second steam oven to inhibit
sliding
movement of the second steam oven relative to the first steam oven.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a stacked steam oven
assembly;
[0007] Fig. 2 is an exploded, perspective view of the steam oven assembly of
Fig.
1;
[0008] Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic section view illustrating nesting of a nesting
component with a lower steam oven unit of Fig. 1;
[0009] Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic section view of the steam oven assembly with a
conduit passageway formed between stacked ovens;
[0010] Fig. 5 illustrates another embodiment of a double cavity steam oven
assembly;
[0011] Fig. 6 illustrates an embodiment of a stacking component; and
[0012] Fig. 7 illustrates another embodiment of a stacking component.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] Referring to Fig. 1, a double cavity steam oven assembly 10 includes an
upper steam oven unit 12 and a lower steam oven unit 14. Each steam oven unit
12 and 14
includes a steam generator 15. In other embodiments, a separate steam
generator is
provided for feeding both ovens.
[0014] In one example, the steam oven units 12 and 14 may be formed to include
a
substantially box-shaped cooking cavity 22 defined by cavity walls internal of
the external
housing, which housing includes left 24, right 26, top 28, bottom 30 and rear
32 walls. A
front access opening 34 is provided for the cavity. A front, generally
rectangular panel 40
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frames the front access opening (behind door 58 having open and closed
configurations)
and has one or more control panel openings 42 located to one side of the
opening.
[0015] Referring also to Fig. 2, the oven assembly 10 includes a stacking
component 44 located between the upper oven unit 12 and the lower oven unit
14. The
stacking component 44 includes a substantially planar seating surface 46 and
side walls 48,
50, 52 and 54 extending downwardly from the seating surface.
[0016] Referring also to Fig. 3, the seating surface 46 and the side walls 48,
50, 52
and 54 are sized and arranged to nest with the top wall 28 of the lower oven
unit 14 such
that the seating surface spans the top wall and the side walls 48, 50, 52 and
54 extend
alongside the front 56, right 28, rear 32 and left 24 walls. In other words,
the distances
between opposing side walls 50 and 52, 48 and 54 of the stack component are
greater than
the corresponding dimensions of the top wall 28 of the lower oven unit 14. As
can be seen
from Fig. 1, at least one side wall 48 has a height selected such that the
side wall 48 does
not interfere with the door 58 of the lower oven unit 14.
[0017] Referring to Fig. 2, the stacking component 44 includes openings 60
that
receive legs or projections extending downwardly from the bottom 30 of the
upper oven
unit 12. In another embodiment, the stacking component 44 may not receive legs
extending downwardly from the bottom of the upper oven unit 12 (e.g.,
fasteners may be
passed upwardly through the component to secure it to the upper oven unit). In
one
embodiment, the seating surface 46 of the stacking component 44 includes a
high friction
material located thereon to inhibit sliding of the upper oven component 12
relative to the
stacking component 44.
[0018] Stacking component 44 also includes an opening 62 that is used to align
with opening 64 in the top wall 28 of the lower oven unit 14 and a
corresponding opening
65 in the bottom 30 of the upper oven unit 12. Referring briefly to Fig. 4,
the opening 62
allows a conduit 67 (e.g., a delime conduit) to extend from the lower oven
unit 14 to the
upper oven unit 12 by passing through the opening 62 in the stacking component
44. In
some embodiments, multiple openings are provided in the bottom 30 of the upper
oven unit
12, through the seating surface of the stacking component 44 and in the top of
the lower
oven unit 14 so that multiple conduits pass between the upper and lower oven
units.
[0019] A base component 66 is used to support the lower oven unit 14. The
structure of the base component 66 may be similar or even identical to the
stacking
component 44. Legs or casters 68 (e.g., six casters) are mounted to the lower
oven unit 14
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through openings 60 in the base component 66. The casters 68 are used to
support the
lower oven unit 14 off the floor (e.g., a distance of at least about six
inches).
[0020] Use of identical components 66 and 44 can allow for interchangeability
of
the two components in that the component 66 may be used as a stacking
component and the
component 44 may be used as a base component. The oven unit 12 can be used as
the
lower oven unit and the oven unit 14 can be used as the upper oven unit. This
interchangeable arrangement can simplify assembly of the steam oven assembly
10. The
components 66 and 44 also provide a buffer or a shield to reduce damage to the
oven units
12 and 14 due to sliding contact with each other or the floor.
[0021] The components 44 and 46 can be formed by any suitable process such as
by cutting and bending a sheet material (e.g., of stainless steel) into the
desired
configuration. The openings my be punched through the sheet material.
[0022] It is to be clearly understood that the above description is intended
by way
of illustration and example only, is not intended to be taken by way of
limitation, and that
various changes and modifications are possible. For example, while the
stacking
component 44 is described as nesting with the lower oven 14, the stacking
component
could be secured to the lower oven 14 and face upward such that it nests with
the bottom of
the upper oven component 12. Fig. 5 shows another embodiment of a steam oven
assembly 72 similar to the steam oven assembly 10 described above including
upper steam
oven unit 74, lower steam oven unit 76, stacking component 78 and base
component 80.
While two oven units are described above, stacked one on top of the other,
more than two
units may be stacked, such as three oven units or more stacked one on top of
the other.
[0023] While the side walls of the stacking and base components are shown as
being continuous and extending from side to side of the stacking and base
components,
other configurations are contemplated. For example, Fig. 6 shows multiple,
spaced apart
side wall portions 82 and 84 extending downwardly from seating portion 86 at
each side of
stacking component 88. Fig. 7 shows a grid structure forming side walls 90 and
92 of
stacking component 94. In another embodiment, the entire stacking component
may be a
mesh structure with side walls being bent portions of the mesh structure.
Other variations
are possible as well.
[0024] What is claimed is:
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